Tell Me Pastor

Not all men are dogs

DEAR PASTOR,

I am a regular reader of your column. I think that you are a wonderful adviser for the children and adults alike. I was reading an article in which a lady claimed that when she came to visit Jamaica, she noticed young girls receiving money and attention from men old enough to be their fathers in return for sex. Your response (in my words) was that some older men in our community give young girls lunch money, buy books, give them rides etc without any mischievous thoughts in minds, and that most of these girls' mothers have knowledge of these.

As a 15-year-old attending school here in Jamaica, I can say that what this lady is talking about is true. I witness events such as these every day, and I also have friends who have these experiences. I try to give them the best advice which I can. I want readers to realise what is happening in and around our communities. Take care and God bless.

S.S., St. Ann

Dear S.S.,

I wish that schoolgirls did not have to rely on any man other than her father for support. But the reality is that without the help of some men, married and unmarried, many girls in high school would have to drop out. That is not to say I am sanctioning what is going on. I am not. I am only stating what is indeed happening. May God have mercy and provide a way of escape for these girls.

Pastor